Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens - Whole Person

Managing Trauma WfoorrTkebeonosk A TOOLBOX of REPRODUCIBLE

d M Pe ASSESSMENTS and ACTIVITIES te le for FACILITATORS righ Who Ester R.A. Leutenberg py t and John J. Liptak, EdD Co ase a ERASING

hTHE rc OF uMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES P THROUGH

A WA R E N E S S

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Duluth, Minnesota

101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203 Duluth, MN 55802

m 800-247-6789 l o books@ ia .c r Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens e n A Toolbox of Reproducible Assessments and Activities t o for Facilitators. a s Copyright ?2015 by Ester R.A. Leutenberg and John J. Liptak. r All rights reserved. Except for short excerpts for review purposes M and materials in the activities and handouts sections, no part of this e workbook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any d P means, electronic or mechanical without permission in writing from

the publisher. Activities and handouts are meant to be photocopied.

te le All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy of the information

contained in this book as of the date published.

h o The author(s) and the publisher expressly disclaim responsibility ig h for any adverse effects arising from the use or application of the

information contained herein.

yr t W Printed in the United States of America p a 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Co e Editorial Director: Carlene Sippola s Art Director: Joy Morgan Dey aAssistant Art Director: Mathew Pawlak hLibrary of Congress Control Number: 2015908642 PurcISBN: 978-157025-335-5

Introduction

Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens

When people think about and talk about the experience of trauma, there is a tendency to associate the condition with adults, however, trauma is also experienced by children and teens. For many children who experience trauma, reactions and problems do not manifest themselves until adolescence or adulthood.

For teens, the symptoms related to a traumatic event are much the same as those for adults. Effects and

reactions to trauma are significant and stressful. Teens who go through a personal event involving trauma,

or who are exposed to an overwhelmingly stressful event or series of events, will continue to emotionally and physically re-experience the event and suffer from it repeatedly, possibly for a long time.

m Trauma can be life-changing. The activities in the Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens can be a l o tremendous benefit to any teenager who has experienced stress from a traumatic episode.

ia .c People perceive many types of events as stressful and feel that stress as a result of having experienced er n them; however they are too numerous and too individualized to describe.

t o See below for some of the causes of trauma:

a rs ? Abandonment M e ? Abuse

? Almost drowning

d P ? Attack by animals te le ? Attack by a person h o ? Attempted or witnessed suicide

? Blackmail

ig h ? Bombing r W ? Bystander of bullying y ? Car or plane crash p t ? Changes within the family a ? Child/teen abuse o e ? Chronic disease or illness C s ? Criminal assault a ? Cult activities h ? Dangerous weather conditions c ? Explosion r ? Falling u? Fire P? Harassment by peers or adults

? Loss of a body part ? Loss of the use of a body part ? Mugging ? Natural disaster ? Neglect ? Observing abuse ? Physical proximity to a tragedy ? Rape ? Riots ? Robbery ? Seeing the death of someone ? Sexual abuse ? Sudden life-threatening illness ? Terrorist attack ? Threat to safety ? Threatened with a weapon ? Torture ? School shootings ? Suicidal pacts ? Victim of bulling

? Illegal issues

? Violence

? Incest

? Witness to a crime

? Injury

? Witnessed anything terrible

? Kidnapping

? Others

? 2015 Whole Person Associates, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203, Duluth MN 55802 ? 800-247-6789

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Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens

How Does Trauma Manifest Itself?

All teens experience some type of stress, but not all teens suffer the severe disruptive stress reactions

associated with traumatic events. The difference between the experience of traumatic events and regular, ordinary stressful events depends on an individual's perception of the events and the person's individualized reactions. Each person's experience is valid and treatable. For some teens,

the symptoms of trauma dissipate after several months, yet some symptoms can continue to recur for years, or forever.

Because there are so many ways stress from a traumatic event can manifest itself, symptoms can be

m very difficult to identify and manage. It is critical to be aware of, and to understand, how symptoms

are commonly experienced. Although most or all symptoms do not have to be present, those that are

l o present will typically cause significant distress and/or impairment in a person's daily functioning.

ia .c Some symptoms that interfere with the daily functioning of teens:

er n ? Experiencing upsetting memories of the t o event that interfere with daily functioning a s ? Avoiding people and places that are r reminders of the event M e ? Becoming angry at negative feedback

? Changing personality abruptly

d P ? Diminishing relationships with peers te le ? Engaging in impulsive and risky behavior h o ? Engaging in out-of-place sexual behavior

? Exhibiting outbursts of anger

ig h ? Experiencing an abrupt change r in personality W ? Experiencing appetite changes y t ? Experiencing concentration, focus and p a memory problems o ? Experiencing high levels of anxiety e ? Experiencing nightmares related to C s the event a ? Failing grades and other academic

problems

h ? Failing to develop positive relationships c with peers and adults r ? Failing to fall or stay asleep u ? Feeling detached from others P ? Feeling emotionally numb, or avoiding

? Feeling fatigued a lot of the time ? Feeling irritable ? Feeling jumpy and easily startled ? Feeling pain/distress when remembering

the event ? Having an attitude: "I hate you" or "You

can't make me" ? Having flashbacks and feelings that the

event is happening again ? Lacking motivation ? Losing interest in activities that at one time

were pleasurable ? Losing interest in life ? Making unlikely decisions ? Manipulating ? Not controlling reactions ? Remembering, or not, important aspects of

the trauma ? Sensing that a future once imagined is no

longer attainable ? Skipping school ? truancy ? Starting to abuse unhealthy substances ? Unusually poor relationship with teachers ? Zoning out for long periods of time

thoughts and feelings that are reminders

Losing interest in life and in activities that were once pleasurable, plus some of the above and additional symptoms,may relate to traumatic events and/or other mental health issues.

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? 2015 Whole Person Associates, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203, Duluth MN 55802 ? 800-247-6789

Introduction

INFORMATION FOR FACILITATORS

When Using the Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens

Our main goal for this workbook is NOT to diagnose a mental illness, or expect the facilitator to make that diagnosis from this workbook's content. Our goal is to touch on some of the symptoms and possibilities, create realizations, and provide coping methods which will help people to go forward and perhaps consider the possibility of the need for consideration of medications and therapy. Our secondary goal is also to help teens recognize that other people have the same issues, that no shame is connected to them, and that mental health issues of any degree are not to be stigmatized nor

m should anyone need to feel like a victim of stereotyping. In this workbook, we use the phrase mental l o health issues in order to include ALL types of trauma symptoms and problems, from just losing one's

temper to indicators of a serious mental illness.

eria n.c Seek Professional Help! at so Teens who experience severe bouts of trauma-related symptoms may need to seek professional help r from a medical or psychological professional. Some of the questions you can evaluate to determine if M professional assistance is needed: e ? Has the teen been experiencing these symptoms for a longer time than usual, lasting perhaps for d P weeks or even months?

? Are these trauma symptoms causing bigger problems at school, at a salaried or a volunteer job, at

te le home, or in the teen's community?

? Have the person's efforts to manage the symptoms of trauma failed?

h o ? Does the person feel hopeless and helpless in trying to change problematic symptoms after ig h experiencing a trauma?

Teens need to do much more than complete the assessments, activities and exercises contained

r W in this workbook if they have serious mental issues. All trauma-related symptoms and problems y t need to be thoroughly evaluated by a medical professional and then treated with an appropriate p combination of medication and group and/or individual therapy.

o e aCONFIDENTIALITY C s Instruct teens to use NAME CODES when writing or speaking about anyone. Teens completing a the activities in this workbook might be asked to respond to assessment items and journal

about relationships. Before you begin using the materials in this workbook explain to teens that

h confidentiality is a term for any action that preserves the privacy of other people. Maintaining c confidentiality is extremely important, for it shows respect for others and allows ? even encourages r teens to explore their feelings without hurting anyone's feelings or fearing gossip, harm or retribution. u In order to maintain this confidentiality, ask teens to assign a NAME CODE for each person they write P about as they complete the various activities in the workbook. For example, a friend named Pat who

Loves To Sing might have the code name of LTS for a particular exercise. In order to protect their friends' identities, they will not use people's actual names or initials, just NAME CODES.

? 2015 Whole Person Associates, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203, Duluth MN 55802 ? 800-247-6789

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Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens

Some Teen Reactions to a Trauma

? Constant talk about the traumatic event. ? Demonstrate increased impulsive and/or rebellious behaviors. ? Display self-absorption. ? Experiences difficulties with short-term memory, focusing, concentration and problem solving. ? Feels emotions such as depression, sadness, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and/or guilt. ? Give up responsibilities. ? Harbors feelings of hopelessness. ? Has a pessimistic outlook on life.

m ? Have disturbed sleeping patterns. l o ? Isolate from people and events. ia .c ? Lash out with excessive aggression, and violence.

? Lose interest in school, friends, and life.

er n ? Need independence.

? Overreact to minor irritations.

t o ? React by out-of-the-ordinary sexual behavior. a s ? Refusal to talk about the traumatic event. Keeping it all inside. r ? Repetitively think about the traumatic event. M e ? Self-harm in attempts to experience and express feelings.

? Show protective behavior of family and friends.

d P ? Turn to substances as a means of escape. te le ? Withdraw from family and friends. Helping Teens Coipge hwith Rehacotions to a Trauma Teens who have survived trauma display complex sets of symptoms that need to be addressed if r W they are to heal. Following are some of the ways that facilitators can assist their clients to process y traumatic events, learn to manage the symptoms of trauma, and begin the transition to a more t satisfied life. p a ? Help participants learn as much as possible about reactions to trauma. o ? Help participants explore their traumatic event in a structured, safe way. Consult a mental e health professional to decide if the process will be therapeutic for an individual. C s ? Help participants accept their traumatic events and the impact these events have on their lives a while focusing on the importance of taking actions to cope with their reactions to traumatic stress. h ? Help participants see the importance of being proactive in coping with the stress associated

with their traumatic events.

rc ? Help participants understand that recovery from traumatic events will not happen immediately, but will happen a little at a time.

u ? Help participants accept that the purpose may not necessarily be to forget their traumatic events, Pbut rather to accept what happened and learn to cope with the issues they are experiencing.

? Help participants understand and develop a plan for recognizing and coping with both the physical, emotional, psychological and interpersonal symptoms that they are experiencing.

? Help participants learn to identify the triggers that bring on reactions to their traumatic stress, and learn to cope with these triggers.

? Help participants learn skills for making the transition to a more manageable and satisfying life.

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? 2015 Whole Person Associates, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203, Duluth MN 55802 ? 800-247-6789

Introduction

How the Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens Can Help

Teens who have experienced a traumatic event are likely to develop a variety of symptoms associated with that event. The assessments and activities in this workbook are designed to provide facilitators with a wide variety of tools to use in helping teens manage their lives more effectively. Many choices for self-exploration are provided for facilitators to determine which tools best suit the unique needs of their clients.

The purpose of this workbook is to provide a user-friendly guide to short-term assessments and activities to help teens manage their issues related to trauma and to experience a greater sense of well-

m being. In addition, this workbook is designed to provide facilitators and participants with tools and

information needed to overcome the stigma attached to the reactions of trauma issues.

ial .co In order to help participants successfully deal with reactions to traumatic events, facilitators need to

have a variety of assessments and activities to help their participants open-up and begin to manage

er n the symptoms of traumatic issues. The Managing Trauma Workbook for Teens provides assessments

and self-guided activities to help participants understand the intensity of their issues and how they can

t o establish ways to lead a more effective life.

When tdo WMorray?Pers The symptoms related to traumatic events can be very complex and difficult to cope with. The good

news is that teens can develop symptom management skills and progress toward more satisfying

te le lives. The symptoms that accompany traumatic event issues that teens deal with daily can be

very frightening. Teens who experience this over time are at risk of having serious mental issues.

h o Participants who have serious mental issues need to do much more than complete the assessments,

activities and exercises contained in this workbook. They need to be taken seriously. Facilitators can

ig h take an active role in their finding help immediately. All disturbances of thoughts, feelings and actions

need to be thoroughly evaluated by a medical professional, and then treated with an appropriate

r W combination of medication and group and/or individual therapy.

opy eSauictide Warning! Many trauma survivors have suicidal thoughts and make plans to die by suicide. Sometimes they C think that the only way to escape the physical, psychological, and emotional pain is to attempt suicide. s Remember to take any talk about suicide or suicidal acts very seriously.

ha Some Signs of Suicidal Thoughts:

c ? Withdrawing from family, friends, and r activities of interest in the past

? Increasing use of harmful substances

u ? Giving away possessions P? Expressing severe hopelessness about

? Calling or visiting people to say goodbye ? Getting affairs in order ? Engaging in reckless actions ? Talking about killing or harming self ? Expressing feelings of being trapped with

the future

no way out

? Making a plan for dying by suicide

? Purchasing a weapon

? 2015 Whole Person Associates, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 203, Duluth MN 55802 ? 800-247-6789

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